Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

Video Games,No Longer Just For Teens

Photo by: A*A*R*O*N

 

While books and action movies can get our hearts racing and our blood boiling, they’re no match for the bursts of adrenalin triggered by video games. Not leisurely Facebook games like Farmville or the kid friendly Super Mario Brothers series. We’re talking intense, hyper real games like “Bio Shock,” and “Call of Duty.” These games drop players into ravaged, post-apocalyptic cityscapes, where they have to evade, kill and destroy in order to win. Are they violent? Yes. Sensory numbing? Unapologetically so. And time-sucking. They inspire hours – and for some, days – of compulsive playing. And not just among teenagers. One eager consumer is author Tom Bissell. His book Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter praises the creativity and ingenuity behind some of the new games. It’s also a memoir of the highs and lows of his hours spent exploring virtual worlds.

LINKS

New York Times Review of Bissell's Book

The Daily Beast Review

 

Virginia Prescott is the Gracie Award-winning host of Word of Mouth, Civics 101, The 10-Minute Writers Workshop podcasts, and the Writers on A New England Stage series on New Hampshire Public Radio. Prior to joining NHPR, she was editor, producer, and director for NPR programs On Point and Here & Now, and directed interactive media for New York Public Radio.
Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.